If Thursday's weather were a "Jeopardy!" question, the correct answer would be:

What is pretty darn hot?

The temperature rose into record ranges in much of Northern California — setting records for the day in San Francisco, 88, and Oakland, 90 — and the Monterey Bay region wasn't exempt from the day-long sizzle.

The mercury hit 90 in Carmel Valley, 97 in King City, 88 in Salinas and 84 at the National Weather Service station at Monterey Regional Airport.

Friday will be a tad cooler, but still pretty warm, especially inland, said weather service meteorologist Austin Cross.

"It will get cooler going into the weekend," he said, as offshore winds return and bring back the soothing sea breeze.

This type of weather is not strange, but it "did happen rather early in the year for it," Cross said.